04 April 2004	Sunday	13 Safar 1425

KARACHI, April 3: The Junior Asia Cup is hardly 17 days ahead but one can barely see seriousness in the Pakistan hockey training camp.

The 29 probables assembled at Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) on Thursday and had their first sessions on Friday.

However, serious atmosphere and keenness of the team officials that is needed for the training of the youngsters are visibly missing.

The significance of the forthcoming tournament has increased since it will also serve as regional qualifying round for the Junior World Cup to be staged in the Netherlands next year.

Junior Asia Cup, which features ten teams of the continent, gets under way from April 20 at HCP.

The attitude of the junior team officials was in sharp contrast to that in senior training camp. Unlike junior team coach Asif Bajwa, senior team coach Roelant Oltmans never talks to media during or before the training sessions.

While the seniors now focus on drills under Oltmans, the juniors still have practice game in the evening - a tradition which is now out of vogue in professional hockey training.

Oltmans has changed the tradition. He says the practice games do not allow players to improve their skills.

Not only junior team officials are not putting their best efforts, the selection committee is indifferent too as not a single selector, except Hassan Sardar, has visited the camp.

The selection committee is scheduled to watch one day trials on April 6 before announcing the 18 member squad for the tournament.

Meanwhile, the camp is still without the team doctor who is busy in his personal commitment, while goalkeeping coach Shahid Ali Khan, also the manager of PIA team, is in Peshawar where his side is taking part in the national championship.